1...that Madonna of the Trail is a series of monuments dedicated to the spirit of the pioneer woman in the United States? Created by German immigrant sculptor August Leimbach, 12 were placed from Maryland to California in 1928 and 1929. 2...that the growing of heirloom plants may help increase the genetic variety of crops? 3...that the Laotian Rock Rat is a new species of rodent that is unique enough to lead researchers to create a new family of mammals? 4...that the International Dance Day has been celebrated on April 29 since 1982? It commemorates the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, the creator of modern ballet. 

New York became the first state in the US to require automobile license plates on this date in 1901. Automobile owners were charged a fee of $1. The color and decorative design of license plates vary state by state, and some states have even begun to put the address of the official state website on the plate. People may pay an extra fee for a vanity plate, customized for the owner of the car.

"One of the annoying things about believing in free will and individual responsibility is the difficulty of finding somebody to blame your problems on. And when you do find somebody, it's remarkable how often his picture turns up on your driver's license." -- P.J. O'Rourke

piezoelectricity: electricity produced by mechanical stress on certain crystals; piezo-electric strips are sometimes embedded in highways to work in conjunction with road-rule enforcement cameras, targeting speeders.

The Da Vinci Code: named Britain's book of the year (story) Torino Scale: asteroid danger less alarming (story) Sony, Toshiba: seek unified DVD format (story)

America: named by geographer Martin Waldseemüller, for explorer Amerigo Vespucci (1507) Suez Canal: ground broken to connect Mediterranean and Red seas (1859) seeing-eye dog: Buddy, a German shepherd, became 1st guide dog for the blind (1927)

Edward R. Murrow: Radio and television journalist (1908-1965) Ella Fitzgerald: jazz musician (1918-1996) actors: Al Pacino (65), Hank Azaria (41), Renee Zellweger (36)